


toss the coin

by onlyeverthus



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-06
Updated: 2015-09-06
Packaged: 2018-04-19 09:54:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4741970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyeverthus/pseuds/onlyeverthus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Rose spend a day in Rome.</p>
            </blockquote>





	toss the coin

The sky overhead is gray with the encroaching dawn as they slip like criminals though the silent metal detector and into the cool darkness of the wide corridor. He sonics the lock on the gate and they hurry inside, pausing just a moment for him to relock the gate before he clasps her hand and they dash through the corridors and up narrow stairs until they reach the very top of the ancient structure.

They settle on the edge, mindful of the ever-crumbling stone, and fix their gaze on the horizon, now a very faint pink. She shivers in the cold of the early morning and pulls her jacket tighter around her body. He shifts closer to her and puts his arm around her shoulders. She smiles gratefully up at him and huddles against his warmth.

The sun rises slowly over the Colosseum and the Doctor and Rose watch as the sky turns from pink to orange to yellow and then white before diffusing into a vibrant blue. The city's waking up below them and soon workers will begin arriving to open the Colosseum to the day's tourists.

They steal out of the building, unlocking and relocking the gate once more, and start down the sidewalk, stopping at the first open café for cappuccinos and cornettos. They eat their breakfast at the counter and he asks her about the things she'd like to do while they're here. She shrugs her shoulders and smiles.

"I want to see everything."

He grins and nods, licking his thumb and rubbing at a bit of jelly on Rose's chin.

"Everything it is, then," he says and either doesn't notice or chooses to ignore the way her cheeks flush at his touch.

They spend the rest of the morning at the Vatican Museums. Rose marvels at the several thousand year old works of art while the Doctor reminisces about the popes he's met and tells about a very hairy situation many years ago with the Swiss guards.

"That's why you never make fun of their uniforms," he says solemnly and Rose can't keep herself from giggling inside the Sistine Chapel as she glances at the guards watching them.

When they leave it's close to lunchtime and the day has grown considerably warmer. The Doctor, in his dark green jumper and heavy leather coat, is attracting several strange looks, but today he's blissfully oblivious to the attention of anyone but Rose.

When she mentions she's hungry they stop off at a grocery store and buy a few things, which they carry along until they reach the Circus Maximus. They settle on the grass and the Doctor takes off his coat now, using it as a surface for their food.

He tells her about the chariot races he's seen here, grimacing as he stares down at the oval track.

"That sounds totally barbaric," Rose says, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

"Oh, it was. People came just to see the crashes, to see people get hurt, to see people die. Not much different from the crowds at today's auto races."

He frowns and his blue eyes seem distant, far away. She wants to ask him the obvious question but doesn't know how, doesn't know if she should, and then he blinks, coming back into the present. He smiles brightly at her.

"Finished?"

They gather their trash together and stand, the Doctor shaking the crumbs from his coat before slipping it back on. Rose tosses their trash and the Doctor takes her hand in his. His palm is warm and dry against hers and his thumb rubs gentle circles on the side of her hand as they head north.

They wind up at the Borghese Gallery and spend a few hours wandering amid the statues and paintings. Rose is transfixed by _Apollo and Daphne_ , admiring the way Daphne's marble fingers seamlessly transition into the brances of the tree.

"Do you know the story?" the Doctor asks quietly, coming to stand next to her. Rose shakes her head and the Doctor casts his gaze upon the statue.

"Apollo came upon Cupid playing with his bow and arrows and told him he ought not to mess with things he wasn't worthy of. This annoyed Cupid and so he shot Apollo with a golden arrow, causing him to fall in love with a beautiful nymph, Daphne. Cupid also shot Daphne, but with a lead arrow, ensuring that she would refuse Apollo's advances and better still the advances of all future lovers." He pauses here and that far-away look is back in his eyes. Rose turns her eyes to his face and her fingers brush his hand, taking it into her own and stepping closer to him. He blinks and takes a breath, continuing his story. "Apollo, under the influence of Cupid's golden arrow, begs Daphne to be with him. She refuses and begins to run from him. He chases after her, spurred on by the power of his love, and just as he catches her, Daphne cries out to her father for help. In an instant she is transformed into a laurel tree, her hair turning into leaves, her arms into branches, her legs into roots, thus saving her from Apollo."

Rose sighs when he finishes, turning her eyes back up to the sculpture, feeling somehow like she can relate to Apollo, chasing after someone who will never love her.

They head back to the TARDIS before dinner because Rose wants to change and when she emerges from her room dressed in a simple flowered sundress, sandals on her feet and her hair pulled back on the sides, she doesn't notice the way he looks at her, doesn't notice the way his eyes linger on the hem of her dress, fluttering just above her knees and offering him a view of her smooth legs, or the way his fingers twitch as he stares at her tanned shoulders, as though he wants nothing more than to caress her skin.

She looks up at him as she pulls on a white sweater and he smiles, offering her his arm as they step out of the TARDIS.

They eat dinner in the Piazza Navona and stop for gelato near the Pantheon on their way to the Spanish Steps. They sample each other's gelato as they slowly climb the steps and she laughs when he drips some down his front. She pulls a napkin from the pocket of her sweater and dabs at the front of his jumper and he smiles his thanks at her.

They reach the top of the steps and turn their gaze towards the St. Peter's, watching the sun set slowly over the Roman skyline. Rose sighs and says she doesn't think she's ever seen anything so beautiful. He knows that this will change but for now he agrees with her.

She smiles and asks if their day is over yet.

"One more thing," he says and takes her hand again, leading her back down the steps.

The end up at the Trevi Fountain and Rose gasps at how beautiful it is, the façade brightly lit with the water casting shimmery reflections on the marble.

"You have to toss a coin into the fountain," the Doctor says, "to ensure your return to Rome."

Rose grins. "Yeah? Have you got a coin?"

The Doctor raises his eyebrows at her and rummages around in his pocket, producing a small coin. Rose's grin brightens as he places the coin in her palm and she prepares to toss it back over her shoulder. He stops her, smiling broadly, and tells her to stand on the edge so it can be a true toss.

"You just want them to arrest me," she says, grinning with her tongue between her teeth.

"Never. Come on." He helps her onto the ledge of the fountain and his hands are light on her waist as she shuts her eyes and tosses the coin back over her shoulder.

"Perfect," the Doctor says, grinning up at her.

She giggles and he helps her down.

"So did we see everything?" she asks as they walk hand-in-hand back to the TARDIS.

"Oh, not at all."

"Guess that means we have to come back."

"You did toss the coin."

Rose grins up at him and then surprises them both by standing on her toes and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

She feels her face burning as she stands flat again and resists the urge to laugh at the startled look on the Doctor's face.

"What was that for?" he asks quietly and Rose shrugs.

"Thanking you for a perfect day, I guess."

The corner of his mouth lifts in a bemused smile and they continue on their way home, hands swinging gently between them.

 

 

 

When they return he has a different face. They watch the sun rise from the top of Palatine Hill this time and he stands behind her, his arms around her waist and his lips soft on her neck.

He's wearing a brown striped suit this time which doesn't attract nearly as much attention as they walk the streets. They tour some of the smaller forums and stay out of museums this time, enjoying the warm weather and the way their hands feel clasped together.

The only building they enter is when they revisit the Borghese, passing through the familiar paintings and statues until they come back to _Apollo and Daphne_.

"You know, back then," he says, staring thoughtfully at the statue, "I felt like Apollo."

Rose looks up at him, her eyes wide, and laughs out loud, leaning her forehead against his arm.

"What?" he asks, confused as he looks down at her.

"I thought the same thing," she says softly and he grins broadly, pressing his lips to the top of her head.

When Rose changes for dinner her dress is sleeker, a black shift that hugs her curves and ends at the middle of her thighs and the Doctor doesn't have to resist the urge to caress her skin this time.

Their evening ends at the Trevi Fountain once more and Rose stares thoughtfully at all the coins that litter the bottom.

"D'you think mine's still in there?" she asks.

"I doubt it. Pretty sure they clean the coins out."

"Does it have to be a coin that goes in the fountain?"

The Doctor shrugs. "That's the story."

"What if we just threw ourselves in there?" She grins devilishly at him and kicks her shoes off, climbing up on the ledge of the fountain. He shakes his head and opens his mouth to administer an admonishment but she grabs him and pulls him to her, pressing her lips to his in a fiery kiss, her fingers tangling in his hair.

She leans back and he presses forward, his arms tight around her waist, until they tumble into the water.

Rose laughs wildly, pushing her now wet hair back as she stands. He watches her wade through the water towards the fountain proper, her skirt clinging to her legs, and grins when she beckons to him.

She pulls him against her and she kisses him, grinning against his lips. Her mascara is running down her cheeks in watery trails and though he thinks she looks beautiful, he wipes the black streaks away with his fingers just so that he can touch her face. His thumb brushes her bottom lip and he's going to kiss her again when there's a shout.

They look up to see a guard rushing toward them and they hurry from the fountain, Rose snatching up her shoes and holding them in one hand as the Doctor pulls her along. They run through the winding streets, laughing all the way until they finally stop so Rose can catch her breath.

Still holding her shoes in her hand she throws her arms around his neck, kissing him fiercely as she pushes him back against the wall. His hands fall to her hips and his fingers flirt with the edge of her dress, holding her tightly against him. He breaks the kiss and her breath is warm on his lips, her fingers restless on his shirt.

"Not here," he breathes as she kisses him again. "C'mon."

He grabs her hand and they run back to the TARDIS, where they don't quite make it to either of their bedrooms, though the trail of wet clothing leading from the door of the ship shows their effort.

They sit against the wall sometime later, under the cover of the Doctor's trench coat and Rose giggles.

"Where, exactly, are we?"

The Doctor looks around. "Er, I think your bedroom's back that way."

"Took a bit of a wrong turn then."

"Well, my sense of direction became a bit… skewed," he says, his breath hitching as Rose kisses his neck, just under his ear.

His hand finds her leg under the coat and his fingers are light on her skin, stroking the length of her thigh.

"Did you have a good day?"

"The best." Rose grins up at him. "Thank you for bringing me back."

The Doctor shrugs, smiling as he gently kisses the tip of her nose. "You did toss the coin."  



End file.
